This year, November 4 is St. Archangel’s Day – the day when we pray for the souls of our deceased loved ones.
Archangel’s Stew, also called Archangel’s Stew, Rangel’s Stew, Hrangel’s Stew, is one of the three greatest Stews according to the Orthodox calendar.
It is celebrated on the first Saturday before Archangel’s Day – because Saturday is designated as the day of the dead. In every Orthodox church on St. Archangel’s Day, a General memorial service is held for the deceased, we pray for the souls of the dead and light a candle.
We visit the graves of our loved ones on a whim. We clean them, smoke them with incense and decorate them with flowers.
In the past, the oldest woman poured red wine over the grave.
On the grave of the deceased, we light a candle, which is a symbol of our faith, and the flame reminds us of the immortality of souls. Incense symbolizes pure prayer, flowers – the virtues of the deceased.
At Archangel stew, as with other stews, communal meals are served. Also called the Big Stew, it is the last one of the year. Therefore, seven different dishes (among them favorites of the deceased) are placed on the common table of the cemetery park.
The first bite is put on the ground, and the first sip of wine is poured, not drunk, and we mention the deceased with the words “God forgive”. The old people say that if you see a midge or a butterfly buzzing around you on this day, then the soul of the deceased has come.
Exchanges are made or, also called – distributions, distributions. They are distributed to relatives, neighbors, relatives who came to the grave of the deceased, and also to other people around the neighboring graves, even to strangers.
The distribution for Archangel Stew traditionally includes wine, boiled wheat, rolls (or bread), chicken, lamb or meat in general, small sweets, candies, apples and other fruits, cake, but in fact you can pass whatever you want. Wheat symbolizes the resurrection, bread and wine – in memory of Christ’s sacrifice.
On Saturday, the Metropolitan Municipality organizes additional transport in connection with the “Suffocation” commemoration.
